Effect of corticosterone treatment on rat neuronal progenitor cells

Exposure to excessive glucocorticoids, which are major mediators of the stress reaction, is detrimental to brain development related to an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of excessive glucocorticoids on the developing brain remains largely unclear. To clarify the mechanism, we examined the effects of glucocorticoids on cultured neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) from cerebral cortices from rat embryo. We performed comparative analysis using gene expression profiling of corticosterone- or vehicle-treated NPCs. Results provide insight into the effects of glucocorticoids in regulating genetic programs important for controlling NPCs properties.

6